River Song and The Doctor were finally alone for the first time in ages. Her mother and father were no longer companions. As much as she loved her parents, she was grateful for the time alone with her Time Lord husband. Just the two of them, in the TARDIS, an entire universe of possibilities before them…
She looked over and smirked at him and his smart, red bow-tie. The Doctor grinned back at her in his typical slightly devilish manner. He pretended not to admire the sway of her hips as she strutted towards him.
"Where to, sweetie?" That was all she managed to say before the TARDIS jarred and the lights flickered. It felt like it was tumbling down a never ending cliff and a bone-crushing speed. The two occupants screamed, unable to grasp anything as their bodies were tossed around like toothpicks in a laundry drier. Suddenly, it stopped. As if nothing happened. All power went out with a defeated 'wooooosh'.
The two of them lay still in fear of another crash.
"Well that was certainly interesting" mused The Doctor cautiously. There were no signs of power left in the TARDIS. She seemed to be wounded and knocked unconscious. Suddenly a pipe burst and a noxious gas began to fill the air.
"Time to explore the great outdoors! Breathe in the fresh air!" The Doctor bellowed merrily.
He and River got sprang to their feet and burst through the door and out into the unknown alien planet they had crashed landed onto.
The air outside was thick with the scent of burning flesh and blood. They were in a dense forest, the trees ancient and knotted with time. A dry non-tropical moss hung from the limbs of these mighty trees. Smoke billowed in the evening sky, stinging the eyes of the time travelers. Visibility was poor at best. But through the trees and the smoke and the stench, they could hear the faint sound of distant screams.
"I think we're in the middle of a war zone." River nervously drew a good-sized dagger from a leather holster which was strapped to her thigh. The Doctor already had his sonic screw-driver in hand to help light the way.
"Let's go see what the fuss is about, shall we?" River nodded in agreement, the lead-weight feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach.
Together they crept through the forest. The screams were louder and clearer now…they were the screams of dying men. Flames could now be seen through the trees. The edge of the forest was near. The hairs on the back of River's neck stood up as she felt the earth rumble beneath her feet. Something very large, possibly a few very large things, was approaching. Fast.
The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. He felt it too. He motioned for River to be silent as possible by pressing his index fingers to his lips.
Suddenly, a giant red wolf the size of a rhino came barreling and snarling between them. Dark liquid stained its muzzle and dripped profusely from its mouth. The animal didn't seem to notice them standing there as it hurdled through the trees. It was headed straight for the screams and the fire. That's when a paralyzing thought rocketed through River's mind. Her breath became shallow and her eyes were wide.
"Doctor…" she croaked, "she's here." He looked at her puzzled, and still shocked about the sight of the gargantuan wolf.
"Oh my god…" River whispered to herself.
"Who are you talking about?" The Doctor shouted, his frustration shadowed by fear. River didn't respond. She sheathed the knife and took off at a sprint in the same direction as the wolf.
"River!" The Doctor yelled after her. Before he moved to follow her, he reached down to the ground where a puddle of the black liquid had dripped from the wolf's mouth. He gently slid the pad of his middle finger into the liquid. It was still warm. He raised the finger closer to his face and inhaled. A knot instantly formed in his stomach. Blood. He returned to his feet and bolted after River.
When he caught up to her, she was facing the flames that consumed what was presumably a town or village of some sort. There were men with torches and battle axes, at least 20 or so of them. About 13 of them lay dead on the ground. Those who were alive seemed to be attacking, or possibly fighting off about 30 of the giant wolves. Some were howling in distress or ripping the men to shreds. The fight was coming to an end, in favor of the wolves.
"What exactly do you know, River? Tell me!" The Doctor was now getting impatient, demanding information before stepping in to disband the conflict.
Tears were forming in River's eyes. The knot in his stomach became even tighter when he saw.
"Temperance… " she whispered, just loud enough for The Doctor to hear. He shook his head, signaling that he had no idea who she was talking about.
River couldn't speak anymore. She simply watched the carnage in front of them. Her stare remained pained as they watched the last man fall to the ground dead, his neck and shoulder ripped apart from the massive bite of a grey wolf. Fresh blood poured between its teeth, but its eyes were no longer narrowed. Much to The Doctor's surprise, the canine had piercing grey-blue eyes. It raised its head from the body of the man it had just killed, gaze locked on River. It raised a mighty paw and took a step towards them. Cautiously, it took another. It slowly walked up and inhaled deeply, taking in River's scent. Its eyes closed, and the wolf lowered its head directly in front of River. That's when she fell to her knees.
"Don't touch her! I'm warning you now!" The Doctor yelled as he raised his sonic screw driver in the wolf's direction.
"NO," River screamed! The Doctor looked at her confused and surprised by her reaction.
She slowly reached out a shaky hand and placed in on the bridge of the wolfs nose. The animal seemed calm, relaxed and happy to see her and feel her touch.
"Doctor…" River choked, tears pouring from her eyes, "This is Temperance." A distant memory tugged at the back of The Doctor's mind. It was something he had repressed, something that an older version of himself wanted him to remember. He couldn't place it. He'd never felt this way before.
River gently stroked the blood-stained muzzle of the soothed beast. She smiled softly then turned to face The Doctor.
"This is our daughter."
The Doctor didn't say a word as the wolf raised its head to look at its "father". He felt that tugging in his brain again. The memory was beginning to surface. The Doctor's eyes became huge, staring at the animal, attempting to process what he had just been told. The grey-blue eyes of the wolf blurred into the face of a woman within his head. The grey fur disappeared to reveal fair skin and shoulder length reddish-blonde hair. The woman he saw was beautiful, familiar yet a complete stranger all at the same time. The Doctor shook his head, erasing the image of the girl and returning to the harsh reality that lay in front of him. The giant grey wolf was still relishing the touch of River's hand on its nose. His wife was still gazing adoringly at the beast in front of her. He simply dropped his sonic screwdriver and promptly fell to the ground unconscious.